House Republicans on Wednesday delayed consideration a $44 billion bill to fund transportation and housing programs before four congressmen could introduce their proposed amendment to block the federal government’s new hours-of-service rule for truck drivers.
The HOS, amendment sponsored by Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) did not make it up for a vote before Republican leaders decided to delay the bill’s consideration, said Renée Gamela, a spokeswoman for Hanna.
“Rep. Hanna looks forward to pursuing the amendment after August so this regulation, which is so onerous for the trucking industry and many small businesses, can be properly addressed,” Gamela told Transport Topics.
The amendment would prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from enforcing the new limits on the 34-hour restart, and the mandate for a half-hour rest break for a year, Hanna wrote in a letter to his colleagues Tom Rice (R-S.C.), Trey Radel (R-Fla.) and Todd Rokita (R-Ill.).
“The new HOS regulations decrease driver flexibility and raise costs for the already overburdened trucking industry,” the Congressmen wrote.
The 2014 appropriations bill — which would represent a $7 billion cut from the 2013 funding level — will be considered after the House’s August recess, which ends Sept. 9, said Rory Cooper, spokesman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.).
“This week just got busier than expected, with the number of amendments being offered and the limited time remaining for a full debate, so we’re going to finish the bill when we return,” he told TT.
